The Unknown

Chapter 13: The Chase

It was a little over a week later at the Dursleys and Dahlia hated it. She had trouble sleeping as usual, dreaming of Cedric's death and Voldemort trying to kill her. Sometimes she would try to go to the dream world but the fear of Voldemort coming after her, now that she was back on Midgard, scared her. She didn't have soldiers of the dead, or her sister to ease her mind. She knew she could contact her sister at any time with the locket but it wasn't the same. Speaking almost on a daily basis, then seeing each other in the dream world with their father, it was like her sister was still with her but still not safe.

Exhausted from the heatwave still going on, Dahlia spent most of her time outside as Vernon and Petunia were pestering her about the news, believing it had something to do with her freaky world. There was a park not too far away from the house where Dahlia spent her days while at the Dursleys. She would sit on the swing and watch the children play, their innocence made her smile as they didn't know what was to come.

Wearing a simple dark blue knee length skirt and tank top, cheap because the Dursleys wouldn't spend much on her, was one of the only outfits she wore that could tackle the heat. Her wand was hidden under her top in the elastic of the skirt. Swinging slowly, Dahlia thought the day would just pass by but unfortunately, it wouldn't be peaceful because of Dudley and his gang.

The last of the children had long since gone home when she saw the group of five boys approaching consisting of Piers, Dennis, Malcom, Gordon and their leader, her oh so lovable cousin, the biggest, strongest and dumbest of the lot of them, her cousin Dudley. They were laughing again about something Dudley had done and if Dahlia was to guess right, it would be Dudley's actions of beating up people younger than him. It didn't take long for them to actually notice her, she tried to keep her head down but then heard the voice of Pierce as he said, "look, Big D, your freak of a cousin".

She looked up with a sigh and she saw them walking towards her. She stopped swinging slightly and glared at Dudley as he approached with his gang laughing behind him. She rolled her eyes at what was supposed to be his threatening approach and said, "hey, Big D, just beat up another 10-year-old? I heard what you did to Mark Evans two nights ago".

"He was asking for it," Dudley sneered while his gang behind him was laughing and agreeing.

She gave off a small mocking laugh as she glanced to each of them and said, "five against one, how very brave you must all feel for beating a child. Clearly, none of you have any morals against it but yet again, it's probably the only area any of you succeed in. I've heard about your school reports".

Dahlia was then on the end of five individual glares and Dudley said, "you're one to talk, freak. Moaning in your sleep every night. Talking. Crying into your pillow".

"What do you mean?" she asked, feeling cold all over and not wanting anyone but her sister to know about the dreams, least of all Dudley and his friends.

Dudley gave a harsh laugh and turned back to his friends who high-fived him and began to laugh themselves until Dudley answered, "'don't kill Cedric, don't kill Cedric' who's Cedric, your boyfriend?"

"Shut up," she stuttered, feeling weak that Dudley knew about her dreams but he didn't know what she had to face, that the dreams of Cedric dying and Voldemort returning were real. "You're lying," she said but she knew she was the one lying.

"'Dad! Help me, dad! He's going to kill me, dad, where are you? Mum, help me! Mum, he's killed Cedric, help! Sister, where are you!' even making up family members you don't have. Sister," he scoffed, "where is your mum? Where is your dad? Are they dead?" they all began to laugh as Dahlia clenched her fists. Dudley was even brave enough to take a few steps closer to her and said, "are they dead?"